Selector switch for multiple circuit control



LZ ZZ Q April 29, 1969 R. P. CARROLL 3,441,743

SELECTOR SWITCH FOR MULTIPLE CIRCUIT CONTROL Original Filed March 15. 1965 Sheet of 2 Pale)? W (arm/4 BY lama/v0 ATTOPAM'VS.

Apr-i129, 1969 R. P. CARROLL.

SELECTOR SWITCH FOR MULTIPLE CIRCUIT CONTROL Original Filed March 15, 1965 4/ w W w w Sheet 3 of?! n mvf-mwe /73 I O o I MIT-M/IWE /7/ I J I n 5 It'flAFJi-MM/d? I w Mar/01v 2 M2 mJzM-M/we F United States Patent 3,441,743 SELECTOR SWITCH FOR MULTIPLE CIRCUIT CONTROL Robert P. Carroll, Chicago, Ill. (1315 E. Randolph Court, Milwaukee, Wis. 53212) Original application Mar. 15, 1965, Ser. No. 439,693, now Patent No. 3,361,231, dated Jan. 2, 1968. Divided and this application Sept. 15, 1967, Ser. No. 680,277

Int. Cl. H023 1/00, 3/00 US. Cl. 307-28 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A selector switch fior multiple circuit control having a number of planes of conductors arranged side by side. Each plane of conductors contains 'a number of individual conductors electrically separate from one another. A number of selectors are arranged in alignment with each plane of conductors. Each selector can be moved relative to the conductors to connect any one of the condoctors in its plane with its outlet terminal. Screws engage the selectors and extend through an apertured plate in the switch housing to facilitate movement of the selectors.

This application is a division of copending application Ser. No. 439,693, filed Mar. 15, 1965, now Patent No. 3,361,231.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention is concerned with a selector switch for a multiple circuit control having a number of planes of conductors arranged side by side in a housing with selectors aligned with each plane of conductors and adjustable to connect a selector terminal with any one of the conductors in its plane.

Accordingly, an object of my invention is a program and memory apparatus for selecting the magnitude of each of a plurality of movements of a machine through means of adjustment of one or more screw type selectors for each desired movement of the machine.

Other objects will appear from time to time in the ensuing specification and drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a partial plan view of the selector switch;

'FIG. 2 is a partial view taken along lines 13-13 of FIG. 1 and a schematic diagram of the program step switch.

The selector switch is made up of a housing 151, on which is mounted a plate 152 having a number of threaded openings 153 arranged in a geometric pattern as shown in FIG. 1. Each opening is adapted to receive a headed screw 154. Each screw bears against a selector rod 155 located in the housing. The selector rods are made of a conductive material, such as brass, and are insulated throughout their lengths except at a brush portion 156 located intermediate the ends of the rod and at a bottom terminal 157. Each selector rod extends through openings 158 in a laminated stack of alternately positioned electrical conductors 159 and electrical insulators 160. This laminated stack is attached to an upper guide plate 161 and is supported beneath the openings 153 by this guide plate. The selector rods 155 are held in lateral vertical alignment by the upper guide plate and by a lower guide plate 162. The selector rods are urged upwardly against the program screws by compression springs 163, which engage the lower guide plate and a in the stack are numbered from 0-9 and each conductor in the stack has the same voltage as a segment of the collar 164 on each rod. The number of conductors in the 7 same number on the printed circuit encoders. Each screw can be rotated to move its selector rod into contact with one of the ten conductors in the stack and deliver .the voltage of .the conductor to the terminal 157.

A conductor 164 leads from the terminal 157 of each selector rod to a stepping switch 165 shown in FIG. 2. All of the conductors from the selector rods for one position or group in the program, for example, group or position 0 as shown in FIG. 1, lead to the same one of the ten contacts, 0-9, shown for each level 166473 of the stepping switch. One level on the stepping switch is assigned to each mode of the encoders and 126. For instance, level 166 is assigned to the major mode of en coder 125, level 167 is assigned to the minor mode of encoder 125, level 168 is assigned to the major mode of encoder 126 and level 1'69 is assigned to the minor mode of encoder 126. The program and the stepping switch shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 are capable of controlling a machine in which two motions or movements (motion #1-M1 and motion #2-M2) are performed at each position. In such an arrangement, levels 166-169 of the stepping switch would be assigned to braking mechanism 22 and levels 170473 would be assigned to a second braking mechanism 22' (not shown). Of course, the program can be modified to accommodate various numbers of motions and positions.

I claim:

1. A program apparatus for providing signals of selectable voltage for use in determining the magnitude of each of a plurality of point-to-point movements of a machine, which are controlled by the regulation of the direction and degree of rotation of a shaft driving said machine, including:

a housing having a plate forming a wall thereof,

a plurality of apertures in said plate arranged in groups,

sets of electrical conductors positioned inwardly of said plate, with each set of conductors aligned with a set of apertures and having a plurality of conductors spaced from each other and the apertures,

each of said conductors carrying a different voltage with the voltages varying in intensity from the conductor next to the aperture to the conductor located the liarthes't from the aperture,

passages extending through said sets of conductors in alignment with said apertures,

selector rods extendable through said apertures and into said passages,

said rods having contacts to engage said conductors with each rod being adjustable to move its contact into engagement with any conductor is its set, and

an electrical circuit connecting each of said selectors to an outlet.

2. A selector switch for multiple circuit control including:

a housing,

a plurality of planes of electrical conductors arranged side by side in said housing,

each plane of electrical conductors containing a plurality of electrical conductors spaced side by side and extending generally in parallel alignment,

a plurality of selectors arranged in rows with each row containing at least two selectors and being aligned with a single plane of electrical conductors,

an electrical circuit connecting each of said selectors to a separate outlet terminal,

each of said selectors being movable through a .plu-

rality of positions relative to the electrical conductors in its plane of electrical conductors and being opera-,

7 tive in each of said positions to connect one of said of apertures and with each row aligned with a plane of electrical conductors,

a screw threaded member positioned in each aperture and adapted to contact a selector with the screw threaded member being movable relative to the selector to move the selector relative to its plane of electrical conductors to selectively connect said selector with any one of said electrical conductors.

, 1. References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Durbin 30775 X Schuster 30728 X Kornberg ..1 307-28 X Dufendach et al. 20016 X tKroll et a1, 20O16 Craig '200l6 X ROBERT K. SCHAEFER, Primary Examiner.

T. B. JOIKE, Assistant Examiner.

US. 01. X.R. 

